at NRT is upset. It seems that one of Ours insulted one of Theirs.
Yesterday in the House, National MP Jonathan Coleman abused Judith Tizard by implying she was a witch and telling her to get back on her “broomstick”. For those like DPF who seem to be having a problem understanding why this is so offensive, here’s a hint: “witch” is the traditional term for an uppity woman. It is thus a denigration purely on the basis of gender, the misogynist’s equivalent of the racist’s “nigger” or the homophobe’s “faggot” (which DPF’s spiritual kin likewise attempted to defend by attacking those who objected to their use as “thin skinned”). Civilised people don’t use such terms today – but then, we already knew Coleman wasn’t civilised, didn’t we?
Yes, Coleman isn’t civilised. That would be proven by the fact that he didn’t press charges against the person who assaulted him. That is so uncivilised. Wait, isn’t the person who punched him (and proudly admitted it) after being allegedly insulted (and here I’m being charitable!) the uncivilised one?
Oh, I’m confused. Never mind.
So, the obvious question is, how does IS dish how his insults? Does he “keep his words sweet, lest he be forced to eat them”?
Um, No.
Let’s jump straight to the top and start with use of the term “racist”…
I really wonder how it would look to National’s supporters given that they raised racist hell over the merest thought that Maori might be able to have their day in court, just like anybody else.
Or…
The bill will still pass anyway – there’s no question that it has the numbers – but it depressing to see parties sacrificing a fundamental freedom of speech issue to preserve their ability to pander to racists and bigots.
Meanwhile, yesterday’s Member’s Day went slower than expected, but still saw the final demise of the New Zealand Day Bill, and of Tony Ryall’s Local Electoral (Repeal of Race-Based Representation) Amendment Bill. So it seems there is still a blocking coalition for bad, racist legislation.
Here’s a good one…
The numbers on these are likely to be much tighter, and they will be an important test of the new shape of the House; with Labour, the Greens and the Maori Party likely to be against them, whether they fail or proceed to select committee will really come down to Taito Phillip Field. It will be interesting to see whether he stays true to the people who elected him, or sides with the racist right out of spite.
Hey, don’t confine yourself to NZ while you’re at it…
France went to the polls overnight in the second round of its presidential elections, and authoritarian racist Nicolas Sarkozy has emerged as the winner. I use that latter term unreservedly; Sarkozy has done to Front National leader Jean-Marie Le Pen what John Howard did to Pauline Hanson: appropriated his xenophobic discourse, normalised it, and brought it into the center of politics.
That’s the first 7 finds for the word “racist”. All smearing the right. A quick search for the word “bigot” also reveals plenty of Don Brash and Christian references, but none for the left.
Then there’s this absolute pearl relating to the wider issue:
I see that DPF is complaining about Michael Cullen calling Bill English a “racist” – which is interesting, given that that’s not what Cullen actually said. Even a cursory glance at the stories on Stuff or the Herald would show that Cullen’s actual words were “winding up race hatred”, which is something rather different. Rather than accusing English of being an ignorant bigot, Cullen is accusing him of exploiting ignorant bigots for political gain – and pointing out that the solution is going to have to be a bit more complicated than National’s simplistic call to legislate the possible pre-existing property rights of Maori out of existence.
Huh. So if Cullen implies something, that’s ok. But if a relativity lowly ranked member of the opposition calls out an insult, that can be stretched to the maximum possible offence.
Actually, I think I/S has a problem. See, if you continue that quote, it goes like this:
I have a lot of sympathy for National’s position. Their beaches for all website says that:
It’s the birthright of every New Zealander to go to the beach, to walk the coast, to throw a fishing line in the water – it’s part of what it means to be a New Zealander.
Even though I’m not a beach person – I don’t like the sun, I don’t like the sand, and saltwater does bad things to my hair – I think that they’re right. Free and public access to nature is part of what this country is all about; this is not a country where you can own the beach.
This is where I feel sad for the guy. He’s actually become much more hateful as time has gone on. See, those “racist” references are recent quotes for a reason – there aren’t that many so close together earlier on in his blog. This quote is from 2003, and implies strongly that his attitudes to the right have hardened considerably in recent years.
But one of the worst things is, he really is wrong about the “bigot vote” thing. Don’t quote me, that’s his own analysis:
The survey asked about prejudice against other groups, and there is at least some good news there: New Zealand is the second least racist country of those surveyed, with only 3% not wanting to live next to people of another race.
Mate, now would be a really good time to take a break. Stop blogging, get out of politics for, say, a month. Go to the beach or something.
Then take a deep breath and consider carefully, in the cold light of day, if the path you’re heading down is the right one for you. Is calling everyone who opposes you and stuff you like a racist and a bigot, even when it’s their job to oppose that stuff?
Because it’s not that nice. Sure, it happens all the time. It doesn’t affect us at all. Nope, it affects you.
Because we don’t call you those things. Even in the heat of the moment in question time, the worst you’ll get is a throwaway insult about broomsticks.
(The title is sarcastic – our constant use of humour is something you guys also don’t seem to get. Here I’m subtly pointing out that I’m not immune to over-insulting myself.)
Something should go here, maybe later. 
3 responses to “Time for a Sermon”
Good points. Is does seem somewhat hysterical to shout “misogynist” at Coleman for calling Tizard a witch, after excusing Mallard for calling the EB women who turned up to watch parliament a group of “chinless scarf wearers.”
It’s obviously different if one is motivated by religious intolerance to insult a group of women. And his opening logic doesn’t compare well to his suggestion that calling some-one a witch is like calling a man a rapist. The logic – the Exclusive Brethren got abused, but they did flash their wares in the political arena, and thus they “deserved it”.
Yeah, they were practically begging for it.
Witch Hunt
I/S is of the left and acts according to his programming.
Thus all conservatives are ‘racists’ or ‘bigots’ (as are uppity white people in general).
Thus any debate or opposition to leftist ideas in general creates a ‘toxic’ enviorment, and those doing the opposing are doing so from the blackest (ooh another racist slur!) and basest of motives.
Thus when a man is nasty to a woman he is a ‘misogynist’ (never mind that the the insult in question was directed at just one woman and not all women in general – it’s always a collective in the far-left world view).
And so on, it’s all so predicable really.
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